Park May Not Pitch Anymore This Season
By Yoon Chul
Staff Reporter
Korean veteran Major Leaguer Park Chan-ho of the Philadelphia Phillies injured his right hamstring and may not pitch again this season, including the post season.
The 36-year-old went to the mound in the seventh inning against the Washington Nationals on Thursday (KST) and allowed only one hit without giving up any runs.
But when Park threw his 10th pitch, which resulted in a double play to end the inning, he suffered a right hamstring strain.
"When he threw the ball, like I see him, he almost went down," Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said on the Phillies Web site. "He pulled a hammy, and he pulled it pretty bad."
Park will be rechecked by head trainer Scott Sheridan and the team's medical staff Thursday.
"Scott said usually if it's really bad, you can't even walk. So I can walk around here. Tomorrow could be a little bit better than today. But sometimes it can get worse than that - that's negative," Park said.
Manuel's sense of anxiety was palpable.
"He is probably going to be down awhile," Manuel said on www.Philly.com.
"I am very concerned about him, because he pulled it pretty good."
After Park moved to the bullpen from the starting rotation, he earned the trust of Manuel by giving up only 14 runs in 50 relief innings. The right-hander also generated 15 holds with a 2.52 ERA and struck out 52 batters while allowing only 16 walks.
The Phillies, which have only 17 regular season games left, have all but secured a spot in the post season with an 85-60 record. The Atlanta Braves and Florida Marlins are both 10 games back.